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Common Core Math Doesn't Add Up

Math Curriculum In U.S. Ridiculous Says Russian Immigrant Mom With Kids in U.S. Schools "My Childhood Schooling In The Soviet Union Was Better Than My Kids' In U.S. Public Schools Today" by Katya Sedgwick (The Federalist 8/2019) Katya Sedgwick is forever thankful to this country for taking her in and for giving her liberty. YET she says, "the American educational bureaucracy did ruin mathematics. That, of course, was accomplished via the 1960s’ “new math,” which has been reincarnated yet again in Common Core," writes Ms. Sedgwick. "We are all engineers, but our kids can't do basic math." "With generations raised after the new math, schools (in the U.S.) are hard-pressed to find anyone who can teach the subject — not that the administrators would know, anyway." ( BIG OUCH!!) "U.S. instructors readily admit they don’t understand or like the discipline. They end up confusing the students." I can attest to that. stevie wartgo, the abusive principal at Manuelito Middle School in gallup NM often expressed to me his strong distaste for math and the math teachers he had. And, Ms. Galaviz, the v.p., couldn't even do an "absolute value" problem. Here's how hard the "absolute value" concept is. The answer is ALWAYS just the number, with a plus (+) sign in front. In other words, the absolute value of 1 is 1, and the absolute value of -1 is 1. In other words, absolute value is how far away the number is from zero, on the number line. She came into my classroom one period, angrily shoving desks around. Then she took over instruction and went to the front board where I already had the students doing problems on the board. Five students all did the same problem. Four answers were the same, and one was different. So here's the vice principal (the one who evaluates ME, right?) and she DEMANDS to know who was the one with the different answer. She scolds her angrily, "Why did you get it wrong!?" Forget the simplicity of the math and the EXTREME math incompetence of the v.p. She was behaving HORRIBLY with that child. She was ABUSING that little girl. I'M THE ONE who had to come to the little girl's rescue and stop the abuse from vice principal galaviz. I tip-toed up, and in a respectful tone said, "Actually ms. galaviz, SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO GOT THE RIGHT ANSWER!" So much for the bureaucracy and the incompetent administrators. They are simply not needed and, as this instance shows, are often extremely detrimental to the learning environment and to the emotional and mental development of children (not to mention their abuse of teachers) **** Writes Ms. Sedgewick, "We invite some of the most educated people from around the world and put their children’s hearts, minds, and bodies into dehumanizing institutions we call 'schools.' " She continues, "our experience shows that traditional public schools, when given the proper structure and curriculum, can teach very well. America had this very educational system 50 years ago — but, no, bureaucrats and special interests had to tinker with it, and they continue destruction by 'innovating.' " "restore the once-working model," she pleads. ***** Katya Rapoport Sedgwick is a writer from San Francisco Bay Area. She has published at "The Daily Caller" and "Legal Insurrection." ******* ******* ******* ******* ******* *******